This is reported by RBK-Ukraine referring to a report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). This information is also provided by Kontrakty.UA.
It is noted that during a UN Security Council meeting on February 17, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, reiterated Putin's demand that Ukraine must hold elections before implementing any peace agreements. In this way, the Russian diplomat continues the Kremlin's attempts aimed at falsely recognizing the current Ukrainian government as illegitimate.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and former member of the Verkhovna Rada Viktor Medvedchuk have also recently echoed the Kremlin's misleading claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "illegitimate." As ISW points out, this indicates that Russia has no obligations to adhere to agreements made with the current Ukrainian government.
"The evident unwillingness of the Kremlin to make territorial concessions, to commit to adhering to any future peace agreement with Ukraine, or to involve European leaders in these negotiations raises doubts about Putin's readiness for good-faith negotiations that could lead to long-term peace in Ukraine and Europe in a broader sense," the Institute for the Study of War states.
Meeting between the USA and Russia in Saudi Arabia
On February 18, a meeting of high-ranking US and Russian officials will take place in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). The main topic of the negotiations will be the potential conclusion of the Ukraine-Russia war. Ukrainian representatives have not been invited to this meeting.
According to American officials, the Trump administration plans to first hold talks with Russia and then with Ukraine. Following these two meetings, a joint round involving the USA, Ukraine, and Russia will be conducted.
Official Kyiv does not recognize the results of such negotiations, as the Ukrainian side will not participate in them.
Putin's office stated that Russia and the USA plan to coordinate positions to initiate negotiations regarding Ukraine.
The State Department reported that the bilateral meeting in Riyadh does not signify the beginning of peace negotiations regarding Ukraine.